Author Archives: Alan Houghton - waitematawoodys.com founder

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About Alan Houghton - waitematawoodys.com founder

What is Waitemata Woodys all about? We provide a meeting point for owners and devotees of classic wooden boat. We seek to capture the growing interest in old wooden boats and to encourage and bring together all those friendly people who are interested in the preservation of classic wooden vessels for whatever reason, be it their own lifestyle, passion for old boats or just their view of the world. We encourage the exchange of knowledge about the care and restoration of these old boats, and we facilitate gatherings of classic wooden boats via working together with traditionally-minded clubs and associations. Are you a Waitemata Woody? The Waitemata Woodies blog provides a virtual meeting point for lovers of classic and traditional wooden boats.
 If you are interested in our interests and activities become a follower to this blog. The Vessels Featured The boats on display here (yes there are some yachts included, some are just to drop dead stunning to over look) require patrons, people devoted to their care and up keep, financially and emotionally . The owners of these boats understand the importance of owning, restoring and keeping a part of the golden age of Kiwi boating alive. The boats are true Kiwi treasure to be preserved and appreciated.

Kenya II (777)

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Kenya II (777)

KENYA II (777)

photos from Helen & Richard Andrew’s family collection (grand daughter & her husband of Henry Allen -Tiromoana) ex Ken Rickitts. Build & war service details ex Harold Kidd

Kenya II was built for Len Heard by Lidgard Bros and delivered in early 1940 & was in NAPS service in Auckland during the war as Z29. She was also in Fiji between March & July 1942 doing patrol work. She kept her original Fairbanks Morse diesel until at least 1962 when Len Heard re-engined her with a Gardner.

It appears to be Heard in the cockpit of Kenya II. Len owned the confectionary manufacturer ‘Heards of Parnell’. Ken Ricketts remembers him from when he was 11 years old as given his business, Heard always had lots of lollies on his boat, making him very popular with all the young children in the bay.

Also of interest is the unknown older bridge decker in the background to “777” Kenya II. Anyone able to ID her?

B/W photo below taken by Ken Ricketts in Issy Bay, Labour weekend 1948. She was painted light blue at the time.

KENYAII

Karina

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KARINA 

photos & details ex Dean Wright & current owner Winston Jacob

Designed by Parsons & built in 1959 in Tauranga. Carvel planked hull, powered by twin 120hp Fords. LOA 38’6″ x B 11′ 6″ x D 3′ 6″.

Karina was a gamefishing charter boat operating out of Paihia during the 1970′s and 80′s. Owned by Alan Limmer. She once caught a black, a blue and a striped marlin all in one day. The first time it had ever been done in NZ. Possibly never been repeated.

Anyone able to ID the blokes in the cockpit with the thresher shark ?  The owner / skipper Alan Limmer is on the right in the white t-shirt.

Winston Jacob has owned Karina for 14 years (1999)

Update 02-08-2017 – Photo below ex Dean Wright

Karina

27-03-2018 Update from Lee Wilkinson

“I came across my Grandparents old boat on your website today, I posted a wee comment, but since have found a couple of photos which I thought you might like to add to the story of Karina.  The owner prior to my Grandparents was Les Henry, (i couldn’t remember his surname when writing the comment) – and quite possibly the original owner.   Not sure of the dates my Grandparents owned her, but my mum recalls going down to trial her 1961, as she was pregnant with me at the time (the memory of morning sickness!!)  Les Henry lived in Pukekohe but had the boat based in Tauranga i believe.   My grandparents moved her to Maraetai, where she was on a swing mooring just below their home there.

Below are a couple of photos with my Grandmother, Janet Jones, with her catch of a Thresher shark in 1964 off Karina.  Quite a biggie of the day I believe, and especially for a female angler.   

The first one has Les Henry (the very tall man with the folded arms), my Grandfather Harry Jones, (with his hands on his hip), and then my Grandmother Janet Jones. (don’t know the two in the background.”

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Tuirangi

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C35 – pre doghouse
F35 – with doghouse

photo & details ex Ken Ricketts. edited by Alan H

Tuirangi’s original sail number was C35, but changed to F35 when the federation created the new “F” class, she remained F35 until the current system was created.

Built by A. (Bill) Couldrey & originally owned by Jack Allen, son of Henry Allen, (Tiromoana, the 1938 37′ Couldrey designed & built launch). Jack owned her from the late 1930’s until well into the 1970’s (even possibly the early 1980’s). Jack was a fitter & turner by trade, who was trained by Ken’s father, who said Jack was the best apprentice he ever had.

During WWII Jack was called up to join the war effort, in the Airforce, overseas, so Tuirangi along with a number of other yachts & launches, was pulled up on the sand at Judges Bay beach & covered with what was effectually a custom built hull fitting shed, of very strong timber & boarded up for about the next 5 or 6 years & she eventually sailed back on the world again in 1945.

Jack was a very traditional yachtie, of the highest order, adhering to all the best & oldest traditions of yacht racing. He refused for a great many years to even have an auxiliary engine, preferring to “row” the Tuirangi to her anchorage or moorings, when entering a crowded bay, or when there was no wind, (or both), with her dinghy. It was well into the 1950’s before Tuirangi had her first Ford 10 car engine conversion fitted.

When Jack married his wife Doreen, in the mid later 1940s, many thought he would soon replace Tuirangi with a launch & follow in his father Henry’s footsteps (Tiromoana). But no, not even when their children came along, did he falter in his love of sail.

It was only after the children arrived he actually fitted the engine, Ken recalls on many occasions seeing perhaps a dozen or more, pure white “pennants” flying from the stays & halliards in the late 1940’s & 50’s. Jack made one further concession to marriage & children when added the “dog house ” to the rear of the cabin top, to make for more comfortable family cruising.

While Jack passed away a year or 2 ago its hoped that Tuirangi maybe still alive & well – any more info on her past & current whereabouts would be appreciated.

Update from Neil Chalmers

Tuirangi is currently moored at Mahurangi . New photo shows her before Jack Allen fitted the doghouse.

And Neil – also pointed out the correct spelling of Tuirangi (now corrected). I used to think I was a shocker but Mr Ricketts is worse than me 🙂

Harold Kidd Update

Jack Allen had already ordered TUIRANGI from Bill Couldrey when war broke out in September 1939 with the intention that she would be launched before Christmas. However, she wasn’t finished and launched until after March 1940, understandably. Her first race appears to have been the Combined Clubs race to Matiatia in November 1940. Jack raced her consistently in the 4th Division with the Squadron for many years and did well with her.

Loew Victor

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Loew Victor

Loew Victor

photo ex Ken Ricketts

Not to sure if Loew Victor is the name of the boat or if they are are just flying the LV engine house flag – more likely both as builders / engine importers frequently named the vessel after the engine as an early form of advertising / promotion.

Harold Kidd Update

This originated from me at a time when Ken needed convincing about the spelling of LOEW.

Chas. Bailey Jr was the agent for the Loew range of US marine engines. The Loew Victor was a straightforward side-valve petrol engine and considered to be of relatively high performance for the time. Loew did build some Knight sleeve-valve units as the Loew-Knight (quite rare). 

Yes, Bailey trumpeted the make by naming two (three?) launches LOEW VICTOR, the first a 32 footer in August 1913 with a 25hp Loew Victor engine. He sold her to Martin Wilsey of Taupo in December 1913 where she was probably renamed. Some of the Taupo experts will tell us to what.

Bailey then built the 32 footer LOEW VICTOR II in April 1914, again with a 25-40hp Loew Victor. She was sold and forwarded to New Plymouth in December 1915. Either she came back on his hands later (most likely) or he built another LOEW VICTOR II which he sold to Walter E Utting of Birkenhead in August 1920. 

In November 1920 a petrol stove exploded aboard while Utting was anchored at Arkles Bay, seriously injuring Bailey’s son Athol and another. They steamed her straight to Auckland, doing the trip in 1hr 12m…… so she could shift. Athol was unconscious and quite  badly burnt, but later recovered well.

Utting (and later co-owner H Davidson) kept her until June 1935 when Utting, who lived aboard, fell from her mast and died of his injuries. She was then sold to A W B Powell, Arthur William Baden Powell (born 1901….at the time of Mafeking)  of the Auckland Museum. He retained the name LOEW VICTOR for a while, but Ken says he changed it to TANE pre-WW2. She must have been renamed again because the only trace of TANE is in Ken’s memory banks.

PS I overlooked a reference to Powell owning TANE at the start of WW2 when he was still cruising her under wartime # 78, I guess before his petrol coupons ran out. I have a lovely water-colour of Judges Bay done by Powell which has several yachts and launches, including LOEW VICTOR/TANE, hauled out “for the duration”.

Arethusa & Winsome

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The Boats of H Pickmere

photos ex Dean Wright. details by Alan H

Arethusa was used extensively by Hereward Pickmere during WWII when he was employed by the Lands & Survey Dept. to survey Northland’s coastline. Arethusa started off life as a gaff rigged cutter (see b/w photo with a 30’ long boom), she was built in 1917 by Bob Brown at Sulphur Beach, Northcote. Carvel planked kauri – 33′ 4″ with a 11′ 7″ beam.  She was converted to a launch in approx. 1955 after being wrecked & salvaged post a grounding on Farewell Spit on a passage from New Plymouth to Nelson. You can view some wonderful old images of her & the Pickmere family cruises on Dean’s website:

http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa-log-sub/123-pickmeres-my-arethusa.html

Arethusa was sold in 1943 & the Winsome acquired. She is described as a 34′ flush-decked launch built by Bailey & Lowe (that will please HDK) in 1918 with a draft of 2′ 7″ & had previously been owned by Hereward’s father since 1923.

Both boats still live in the Bay of Islands & you can view further details on Arethusa here: http://deanwright.co.nz/arethusa.html

photos – the 2 colour photos of Arethusa and Winsome together were taken by Dean earlier this year in the Bay. The b/w sketch below of Winsome is ‘borrowed’ from Pickmere’s Atlas of the Northland coast.

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Update 25-07-2018 ex Arethusa owner, Dean Wright. The cutting below show Arethusa leaving Auckland on-route to Suva.

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The Cole Boats – Black Watch, Wanda II (Lady Norma), Colmana

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Wanda II
Black Watch
Colmana
Wanda II

Gordon Cole & His Boats

photos & info from Ken Rickets with input from Adrienne & Malcolm Cole. Edited by Alan H

During his boating era Gordon Cole was a very successful furniture retailer (Coles Furnishers, Otahuhu) & the Cole family were dedicated launchies of the very highest order, owning at least 3 boats – Black Watch & Wanda II (note: Cole changed both boats names to Lady Norma & to confuse matters more, when Cole sold Black Watch she became either Lady Ailsa or Lady Alisa. Wanda II / Lady Norma’s name was later changed back to Wanda by subsequent owners) & later a 3rd one, Colmana.

Black Watch

Black Watch was painted completely black when Cole purchased her off the estate of the late Rev. Jasper Calder c.1952-53. When purchased she was moored in the Tamaki River & in a very neglected, unused state. The Cole family had to do a lot of bilge pumping until they hauled her out of the water, which they did almost immediately, at the Lane Motor Boat Co. slip. The entire Cole family, Gordon, his late wife Norma & older children, Malcolm & Adrienne all worked very hard along with some of the Lane staff, for many months, to convert Black Watch into Lady Norma as she is in the photo. Lane’s fitted the flying bridge at the same time as the general overhaul & upgrade. Cole later replaced the original engines ( Ford petrol V8 & the Perkins Diesel) with two x 6 cyl. Ford diesels, which son Malcolm Cole recalls, were painted blue.

They owned her from c.1952-53 until c.1958-59.

Wanda II

Had two sets of engines & while Ken Ricketts is not sure when the two 4 cyl. BMCs were fitted, he recalls that while out on her one day over Christmas 1960, she definitely still had her original Scripps 6 cyl. 90hp petrol engines at that time & by the look of the vapor at the stern in the B/W photo of her under way, she had them when that photo was taken. Gordon Cole can be seen clearly with his head through the hatch, naturally very proudly, at the helm.

Colmana

Was the last of their boats & built for them in Tauranga by Donald Brothers & launched in 1974.

‘Black Watch’ & The Rev. Jasper Calder

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 Black Watch & The Rev. Jasper Calder

photos & info ex Ken Ricketts. Edited by Alan H

Black Watch was either built for, or bought new, by the late Rev. Jasper Calder an Anglican sea loving vicar.

Ken Ricketts first saw Black Watch under construction in c.1947-48 on the port side of the creek, in the right hand corner of Leigh Harbour. She was at the stage of completed hull & combings, with no or little paint, her hull was built of very narrow Kahikatea planking & from memory kauri combings. She was as she appears in the photo except that she was initially painted completely black.

Black Watch was actually Calder’s second boat, the first being a 1925-30 vintage bridge decker, approx. 38 ft., called Crusader, that he owned in the 1930s. Ken recalls his father, Ralph Ricketts, when he was cruising on the Glennifer with the late Trevor Davis, attending impromptu church services on board Crusader along with many other boaties of the day. The crews would all tie their dinghies to the stern of the Crusader for the ‘church’ service most Sunday mornings in Mansion House Bay, Kawau Island over the warm summer months. You can see Crusader marked in Ken’s photo, taken Xmas 1948, of Mansion House Bay.

Ken commented that Calder did not have a lot of money to spend on his boats & love of the sea & Black Watch’s original engines were one 6 cyl Perkins diesel & one Ford V8 (probably both second hand.)

Black Watch was bought by Gordon Cole from Calder’s estate in c.1952-53. Cole owned Black Watch until c.1958-9, when he purchased Wanda II. Cole changed both Black Watch & Wanda II’s names to Lady Norma. (Black Watch/Lady Norma possibly later became Lady Alisa).

Note: Calder towards the end of his life, acquired an interest in an unfinished 75 foot H.D.M.L. naval vessel, which was the only one the navy disposed of for many years, which Ken believes was still under construction when WWII ended, so the Navy sold her possibly unfinished. Calder named her Black Watch as well.

Ken sighted the Calder’s H.D.M.L. recently at Bayswater on a swing mooring, in an extremely neglected state. Previous to this Ken had seen her in the 1980s, tied to a wharf in Schoolhouse Bay, Kawau Island, where see remained most of the time, for a number of years. She had then & possibly still has, twin 6 cyl Perkins diesels. She was modified many years ago in the 1970/80s to a type of semi motor sailer with 2 masts & a semi clipper bow.

Harold Kidd Update

CRUSADER was built for Rev. Jasper Calder and Charlie Goldsboro by Collings & Bell in the winter of 1929, originally without her later bridgedeck. She replaced Calder’s 20ft mullet boat NGARO.

I wonder who built the first BLACK WATCH for him?

Calder had two HDMLs, both called BLACK WATCH. The first, Q1349, was returned to Navy in July 1952 and has since reverted to BLACK WATCH. All RNZN HDMLs were built in North America, none were “under construction when WW2 ended”.

Jasper Calder died in 1956.

Bayswater Dec 2014

A Woody Weekend

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Nahlin
Nahlin
Nahlin
Tall Ships
Tall Ships
Tall Ships
A
A
A
Raindance

Woody Weekend on the Waitemata

The Waitemata Harbour was a pretty magical place this Labour weekend – we had an impressive collection of wooden classics visiting.

The classic 1929 motor yacht Nahlin, owned by industrial designer / inventor James Dyson is currently berthed alongside the CYA’s Heritage Landing. Nahlin has a very impressive history of ownership & was once ‘The Royal Yacht’ – details on her history & restoration at the link below.

http://www.glwatson.com/detail/Nahlin__Classic_Motor_Yacht/527/26.aspx

We also had the ‘Tall Ships’ berthed at Princess Wharf for the long weekend & their arrival & departure was very impressive.

At the other end of the scale the super yacht (ship) ‘A’ was anchored in the middle of the harbour, this boat divides people into to camps – love it or hate it – me I love it. One of the crew skills is the ability to abseil – thats how they clean the windows 🙂

And even my favorite woody made it off the marina for 3 days of spring boating.

Florence Rose

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Florence Rose

Florence Rose

Designed by Billy Rogers & built in1966 by Chas Bailey. Current owners B & G Diggle.
photo taken in Station Bay, Motutapu Island. 26/10/13

Anyone able to supply more info on her past?

Harold Kidd Update #1

I always thought that FLORENCE ROSE, like her sisterships IOWANA and LOLENE was designed and built by Billy Rogers. Charles Bailey Jr was of course long dead in 1966 but the remnants of the company he founded was staggering on under Winstones, then Dromgool’s ownership. But was that company into building new stuff, to other people’s designs in 1966? 

Andrew Pollard will know.

Is this yet another launch myth?

# 2 

Andrew was as surprised as I was with the suggestion that FLORENCE ROSE was built by Baileys. I’ll get hold of Geoff Rogers and ask him.